Chicago Cubs Win 8 of 10

The Chicago Cubs continue to dominate with another victory captured on Thursday, May 5, 2016. The 5-2 win against the Washington Nationals improved their league-leading record to 21-6 and eight of their last 10. Ben Zobrist sealed the victory with a two-run home run in the eighth inning. This was his second home run of the year and fourth run batted in (RBI) of the night.

Cinco de Mayo marked the 50th career start for pitcher Kyle Hendricks. In those 50 games started by Hendricks, the Cubs have a record of 35-17. After Hendricks’ win on Thursday night, the Cubs’ pitcher now sports a 2.31 ERA, which also leads the league. The team’s pitching staff also leads the league in batting average allowed, WHIP (Walks + Hits/Innings Pitched), and runs allowed.

Chicago now has a 6.5 game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates and a seven-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Historically speaking, the last time the team started out this well was in 1907, when they began the season 23-4. Why bring up the 1907 season? Well, that was the year they won the World Series. Then, they won the Series again in 1908. However, that would be the Chicago Cubs’ last World Series victory.

Of course, 37 years later, in 1945, the Chicago Cubs would again go to the World Series, eventually losing to the Detroit Tigers. However, not before kicking out Murphy the billy goat and the man who brought him in, Billy Sianis, who was the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern. Sianis was outraged at his ejection. He yelled, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” According to legend, that rant began the most famous curse since the Curse of the Bambino, which was broken by the Boston Red Sox after 86 years in 2004.

The Cubs’ next game is scheduled for Friday, May 6, against the Washington Nationals. Former Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, who was acquired by the Cubs this off-season, will take the mound against the 2013 American League Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.